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when pressed he selected Jim Borgman, cartoonist for the Cincinnati Enquirer from 1976-2008. “He was fun, enthused, had great stories, and talked to us about who he enjoyed drawing,” said Greiner.
John Erardi was Freking’s pick for favorite guest. Erardi was a former sports reporter and columnist for the Cincinnati Enquirer and co-author of several books on baseball. “He talked about the relation- ships sports reporters had with the team. You couldn’t cheer for the teams while in the press box. The reporters could get tossed out if they did. He’s genuinely a great guy and he’s enjoying being a Reds fan now that he’s no longer working for the Enquirer,” said Freking.
As for the future of the podcast, initially this dynamic duo thought they’d
Listen to the podcast!
interviews. He prepares scripts for podcast guests but admits they usually don’t stick to them and lets the conversations happen organically.
They also have a YouTube channel where they upload video recordings of the podcast. Not even one season under their belts and they’ve already snagged some well-known guests like Cincinnati Mayor, Aftab Pureval, and Amanda Bren- naman, wife of former Reds broadcaster Marty Brennaman, and legendary broad- cast newscaster, Nick Clooney. His episode isn’t videorecorded as Clooney doesn’t “do email or computers.” But at 90 years old he gave them a wonderful interview not to be missed.
Being native Cincinnatians and well-connected in the area, they have a healthy list of connections that allows them to reach out to potential guests. Only a few have declined to be on the show stating they aren’t big baseball fans. Most people are eager to appear on the podcast to share their thoughts and memories of the Reds. “I wish we could have these episodes be two hours long,” said Freking. He and Greiner have to repeatedly cut guests off to keep it to their typical 45 minute podcast.
All of their guests bring a fresh perspective to fan appreciation for their local team. “Every interview, I’ve learned
something new about Reds history,” said Freking. “A friend told me the podcast would become dull because the episodes would be the same; talking about Reds history.” But Freking said the opposite is true. Each guest has mentioned a different favorite historical moment and reason why the Reds hold a place in their heart. It’s always educational and entertaining.
Greiner keeps a spreadsheet docu- menting their past and future guests and episodes. “It’s been pretty 50/50 on finding guests. In many cases, we both had contacts with the same guest,” said Greiner. They have
a goal of some big-name guests but opted not to disclose the names. When asked about their favorite guest the answer didn’t come easily. Greiner said, “It’s like asking me to pick my favorite child. I could
take pieces from each guest as my favorite.” But
record one season and be done. “I can’t imagine life without the podcast now,” said Freking. Greiner quickly agreed. Let’s see what Reds season brings for the podcast and if they can capture those big name guests in future seasons.
We Love our Team is available on Spotify, Apple, and wherever you listen to podcasts. Find them on YouTube at We Love Our Team.
Monttinen is the communications specialist for the Cincinnati Bar Association.
THE REPORT | July/August 2024 | CincyBar.org
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